The prior art has recognized the desirability of manufacturing a vehicle door with the door hardware such as the window, the window regulator, and the door handles mounted on a panel to define a module which may be preassembled and tested away from the vehicle assembly line.
The prior art has also recognized the desirability of manufacturing such a door hardware module using a molded plastic construction for the module panel in order to provide lightweight and economical manufacture. In order to provide a plastic mounting panel of adequate strength and rigidity, the prior art has recognized embedding metal tubes in the plastic module. The prior art has also recognized that the door module panel may be strengthened and stiffened by molding stiffening ribs in the plastic module panel. In addition, the prior art has recognized that the window guide channel which guides the vertical movement of the glass may be molded integrally with the window panel.
The present invention provides a new and improved molded plastic panel for a vehicle door window and hardware module.